Indefinite pronouns - Easy Learning Grammar German

What is an indefinite pronoun?An indefinite pronoun is one of a small group of pronouns such as everything, nobody and something which are used to refer to people or things in a general way without saying exactly who or what they are.

In German, the indefinite pronouns jemand (meaning someone, somebody) and niemand (meaning no-one, nobody) are often used in speech without any endings. In written German, the endings are added.

Case

Indefinite Pronoun

Nominative

jemand/niemand

Accusative

jemanden/niemanden

Genitive

jemand(e)s/niemand(e)s

Dative

jemandem/niemandem

Ich habe es jemandemgegeben.

I gave it to someone.

Jemand hat es genommen.

Someone has stolen it.

Sie hat niemandengesehen.

She didn’t see anyone.

Ich bin unterwegs niemandembegegnet.

I didn’t meet anyone on the way.

TipIf you want to express the sense of somebody or other, use irgendjemand which is declined like jemand.

Ich habe es irgendjemandemgegeben.

I gave it to somebody or other.

The indefinite pronoun keiner has the same endings as the article kein, keine, kein except in the nominative masculine and nominative and accusative neuter forms, and can be used to refer to people or things. When referring to people it means nobody, not … anybody or none and when referring to things, it means not … any or none.

Case

Masculine Singular

Feminine Singular

Neuter Singular

All Genders Plural

Nominative

keiner

keine

keins

keine

Accusative

keinen

keine

keins

keine

Genitive

keines

keiner

keines

keiner

Dative

keinem

keiner

keinem

keinen

Ich kenne hier keinen.

I don’t know anybody here.

Keinerweiß Bescheid über ihn.

Nobody knows about him.

Das trifft auf keinenzu.

That does not apply to anybody here.

Er wollte ein Stück Schokolade, aber ich hatte keine.

He wanted a piece of chocolate, but I didn’t have any.

„Hast du Geld?” – „Nein, gar keins.”

“Have you got any money?” – “No, none at all.”

The indefinite pronoun einer (meaning one) only has a singular form and can also be used to refer to people or things.